I Think I Like You (Hijikata X Sougo)
by Mochi XianSheng
Summary: Hijikata and Sougo went to the theme park together under Kondo's order, to apprehend a criminal on the lose. "But Okita-san hates Hijikata-san." Unless Sougo lets go of that hate, love isn't possible between the them. Hijikata knows that. But will his efforts be enough to make the stubborn Sougo love him? I guess this would be a fluffy kind of story...
1. Working Together

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GINTAMA OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS.**

 **Honestly I never thought I would ever write anything remotely close to Shounen Ai x'D I was never a fan of Hijikata X Sougo until I came across a Gintama DJ starring the both of them xD No, I will not go to yaoi as I do not have the skills to craft a work of yaoi that I myself will accept QvQ/ Regardless, I hope you will enjoy, and do leave some feedback, I love to read them OuO**

* * *

 **"Working Together"**

"Toshi, today I have an important assignment for you. One only you can do."

Hijikata gave no reaction, but listened attentively. It was one of the rarest moments when Kondo was actually serious.

With the same rigid expression, Kondo slipped him a picture of a man all dressed in black. His face was covered with a black cloth, making him resemble a cliché ninja.

"This is the man that you have to apprehend, Toshi," Kondo began,

"There had been many reports regarding this man doing inappropriate things to women in the newly built theme park."

"I wouldn't be surprised if that guy is actually you, Kondo san," Sougo said.

For some reason, Sougo was there, beside Hijikata.

"IT'S NOT ME!" the older man denied immediately.

"Anyway, why is Sougo here?" Hijikata asked, making no attempt to hide the annoyance in his voice.

This person, _Sougo_ , had been trying to kill him for the longest time. He had put poison in his mayonnaise. He had planted a bomb in his pillow. He had even shot him with a bazooka directly when he thought he wasn't looking. It was a miracle that he, Hijikata Toshiro was still alive, and it was no wonder that he would be weary of this crafty man.

Sougo hates him, he knows. But he doesn't feel the same way.

"Well," Kondo said, clearing his voice, "Both of you are going to work together to catch this criminal."

Hijikata choked on his tea and at the same time, screamed out hoarsely,

"WHAT?!"

"No way in Hell," Sougo continued for him.

Kondo shook his head in reply,

"I am not listening to what both of you have got to say. It is important for you both to be able to work together as a team."

"But you just said it's something only _I_ can do! Which part of _I_ includes him?!"

"I said that? No, I didn't."

"You totally did!"

It wasn't the first time Kondo had told them to work together, but it was the first time Kondo has forced them to work together like this.

However, Hijikata will not accept it. He will not work with Sougo. He was sure that he would again attempt to take his life. He had decided that he will not accept Kondo's decision, so he tried to argue.

"If you're talking about teamwork, I think I work better with Kondo san as a team than him-"

He stopped when he caught a tinge of disappointment in Sougo's face. Just a tinge.

He pretended not to notice.

"No, I told you, I will not listen to your excuses," Kondo once again said,

"Besides, today is the 14th of February. It's an important day for me."

The tone in his voice changed. the Captain now sounded elated.

"What's on the 14th?" Hijikata asked.

"As expected of Hijikata san's limited brain capacity," Sougo cut in,

"It's Kill the Vice-Captain Day, stupid. So go commit seppuku Hijikata san you bastard."

Hijikata was going to yell at him but was cut off by Kondo's screams of euphoria.

"AND TODAY OTAE WILL GIVE ME HER LOVELY HOMEMADE CHOCOLATES~"

 _Oh chocolates. So it's Valentine's Day._

Hijikata remembered the last Valentine's Day when Sougo gave him chocolates. He was shocked, but slightly elated at this. Until he realised that that boy had added gunpowder and other various toxins in them.

Then Kondo began swooning in happiness so Hijikata decided to leave.

"Let's go," he sighed, glancing over at Sougo.

"Okay.."

Hijikata looked at the younger boy for a moment, wondering if he had heard his response wrong. He heard a tinge of disappointment in Sougo's voice again; accept it was less veiled than before.

"What is it?" Sougo suddenly asked.

It was then that Hijikata realized he had been staring at Sougo for quite a while a moment ago.

"Don't stare at me like that, it's creepy Hijikata san."

He looked away, partly intentionally ignoring him, and partly not knowing what to say in reply.

"Hooo…" Sougo smirked,

"Don't tell me you swing that way?"

"WHA- SHADDUP!"

 _Shit_ , he scolded himself silently. He reacted more than he should have.

The boy's smile widened in mischief.

"If that's the case then I'll be the topper. You're evidently a masochist, Hijikata san," he teased.

Hijikata snapped.

"Shut the fuck up Sougo! No matter which way I swing, I wouldn't swing towards you!" he yelled.

Instantly, he regretted it.

 _Oh shit again..I shouldn't have said that._

Perhaps he really shouldn't have, because now Sougo wore a rather shocked expression. His eyes widened slightly, his mouth agape, suddenly at a loss of words. Obviously he was quite hurt, and maybe even offended.

But in a flash, that expression vanished.

"Yeah yeah," he brushed it off lightly,

"Let's go already."

"Come back safely~" Kondo called out from behind. Of course, he had heard the tiny dispute those two youngsters had had.

Honestly, he himself wasn't too sure this would work out well. He could only pray.

"Is it really a good idea? Kondo san?"

Yamazaki, whom had been listening from outside, questioned.

"I don't know," Kondo sighed, resting his head in his hands,

"It's really hard to make them realise their feelings for each other. If someone doesn't do something about it, their feelings will forever be hidden."

"But Okita san hates Hijikata san."

"But Toshi doesn't hate Sougo."

Kondo then stood up to leave.

"Well enough about those two, I'm going to go receive my chocolates from Otae now, bye~"

With that, he glided away, an angel in love.

Yamazaki sighed,

"I guess I'll have to buy more tissues for his tears tonight.."


	2. Damn Annoying Theme Park

**Sorry for not updating guys! QuQ My computer suddenly broke down and wouldn't start up OTL So to compensate, I tried making this chapter a little longer C: I hope this chapter will be enjoyable to you guys and thank you so much for the reviews! ^w^/ Do leave one for this chapter as well if you like it (or if you don't like it haha 8'D)**

* * *

 **Damn Annoying Theme Park**

"Tickets for two please," the demon vice-captain asked as politely as he could. However, he knew that he probably still sounded intimidating; people were avoiding him.

Surprisingly, the ticket lady smiled at him politely, seemingly unaffected by his usual glare (not that he could help it).

"Sorry, today is Valentines' Day. Only dating or married couples are allowed to enter."

"We're the shinsengumi, let us through!" Hijikata almost shouted at her, but then stopped just in time when he noticed frightful stares coming his way.

"My apologies, we're a private theme park, so the government has no say over us," the ticket lady said calmly, the plastic smile stapled onto her face.

"Why don't you just pick up some lady off the street or something?" a familiar voice said from behind,

"Just sell off your virginity, Hijikata-san, it isn't that expensive anyway."

"Shut up Sougo!" Hijikata exploded at the younger boy.

He was getting increasingly frustrated. It was annoying enough to go for a mission with Sougo _alone,_ and now this clown ticket lady won't let him through!

"It looks like there isn't any choice then," Sougo suddenly said, turning to look at Hijikata,

"Let's go back."

The vice-captain's heart sunk. He had no idea why it did, but it did. He cringed silently at the internal pain, and this pain made him even more frustrated than before.

"Wait.." his voice croaked out before he knew it.

Sougo stared at him, waiting for his next line.

Hijikata sighed, letting out most of the anger he had kept in store. Calmly, he walked towards Sougo and put his arm around his shoulder. The younger boy flinched at this sudden touch.

"What-"

He was cut off by Hijikata's finger, pointing directly at his face.

Turning to look at the ticket lady, the vice-captain said,

"He's with me."

Sougo froze; his eyes wide in shock and perhaps with surprise.

Alright then, here's two tickets," the ticket lady handed the two passes to Hijikata without hesitation.

"Have a nice day~" she added, still smiling.

Hijikata retracted his hands from Sougo instantly after he had gotten hold of the tickets. Sougo was unusually quiet and he wondered if that had made him uncomfortable.

 _Wait, since when was Sougo ever uncomfortable?_

But maybe this time was different. Hijikata did say something weird after all.

"Hey..are you okay?" he was getting a bit worried.

Sougo was still frozen at his spot, his head tilted downwards so Hijikata couldn't see his expression.

"Ha…"

Hijikata stared at Sougo.

 _Did he just say something?_

"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

The boy burst out laughing so suddenly that it made Hijikata jump.

"HIJIKATA SAN IS GAY –HAHAHA- I BET YOU SECRETLY WEAR PANTIES UNDERNEATH OR SOMETHING-HAHA…"

Broken insults mixed with laughter were thrown continuously at the vice-captain.

He shivered in anger, quite done with Sougo's childishness.

"SHUT UP SOUGO! WE DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER CHOICE-"

He cut himself off when he noticed couples giving him dirty looks.

"Come on let's go!" he growled at Sougo and took the lead.

* * *

It was a crowded day, and there were many couples in the theme park. It made Hijikata immensely awkward. They gave him and Sougo weird looks, as if they were something out of the ordinary.

Well, they were something unusual.

Boy, girl. Boy, girl. No matter where he turned, couples of separate genders toured the theme park.

They were the only two men walking together.

He turned to see if Sougo was affected like he was.

As expected, he was unaffected. He carried the same unreadable look on his face.

He turned back and tried his hardest to ignore the piercing gazes of others.

"Hijikata-san look!"

The vice-captain swirled his head to look at Sougo, then to what he was pointing at.

The particular area seemed to be darker than the rest of the theme park. Despite of the glaring afternoon sun, darkness reined the region. On the patches of dead leaves stood an old rundown house; its wood was rotting and abandoned cobwebs hung loosely at every corner. On a blood stained signboard, it wrote,

"Haunted House".

"…so what?"

"Aw you missed it! I saw the ninja guy going in just a second ago," Sougo said, looking at the haunted house.

Hijikata eyed the boy. There is a 99.999% chance of this being a prank, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to risk it.

"Let's go," Sougo said without turning to look at Hijikata, and paced towards the house.

The vice-captain sighed and followed.

 _Well, to enforce justice…_

* * *

The floor creaked dramatically with every step they took, as if foreshadowing a crisis about to come. Hijikata scanned the area for their target.

He wasn't scared. No, he wasn't. He had no time to be scared.

The props were done excellently but the ghosts weren't really doing a great job. They had been in there for about 10 minutes and still no sign of anyone attempting to scare them.

"Hijikata san," Sougo called from the back.

"What?"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Hijikata jumped so high he sworn he could've hit the ceiling; then instinctively dived into the floor for cover.

 _Ka-chik_.

The sound of a camera shutter reverberated through the place.

It was silent; awkwardly silent.

Hijikata looked up to see Sougo's phone camera inches from his face.

"Heh…I didn't know you were this much of a pussy, Hijikata san," Sougo said, tapping on his phone.

"Wha- YOU SCREAMED INTENTIONALLY DIDN'T YOU?!" he exploded at Sougo, who completely ignored him, his attention on his phone.

"Sent to Kondo san," Sougo commented.

"Wha- DELETE THAT!" he yelled, "I WASN'T EVEN SCARED I WAS JUST _SLIGHTLY_ STARTLED!"

Sougo gave him a smirk and he knew he wasn't buying it. Frustration grew rapidly in Hijikata and he wasn't sure if he could take any more of this stress.

"Fucking dammit Sougo! I knew you were lying about our target being here! You just want to make fun of me don't you?!" he vented his anger in that yell.

"I'm not lying, Hijikata-san-"

"YEAH RIGHT-"

Once again he cut himself off when he saw a shadow glide past the corridor behind Sougo.

It was their target.

Without wasting another second, Hijikata flew past Sougo and pursued the shadow.

 _Catch this bastard and I can finally go home!_

The shadow turned a corner and he followed.

Then abruptly, he stopped. It was a dead end. The shadow was curled up in a corner, back facing Hijikata.

"You're under arrest, bastard."

The shadow did not respond. Instead, it let out a soft weep.

"Hey.." Hiikata called again, feeling annoyed.

Ignored.

Angrily, he paced towards the shadow and seized it by its shoulder, turning it around forcefully.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

A scream exploded in Hijikata's face so powerfully that he fell over.

Now that he was close, he could see clearly that the shadow was not their target. It had dirty unkempt hair falling over its pale face, and a pair of bloodshot eyes. He took back the comment about the ghosts doing a bad job. They were doing a wonderful job and he really wished they hadn't.

 _Ka-chik._

Another sound of a camera shutter.

Then it was silent; awkwardly silent.

He turned to see Sougo's camera once again directed at him. The boy smirked and said,

"Sent to Kondo san."

He then turned his phone around to let Hijikata have a look at his own retarded face.

He did really look stupid.

That was it. That was fucking it. The last fucking straw.

"DAMMIT SOUGOOOOOOO!" Hijikata hollered as he shot his fist at Sougo. The boy dodged it easily and smirked at Hijikata, taunting him further. In response, Hijikata shot more consecutive punches and kicks at him, however none landed successfully.

"GIVE ME THE PHONE SOUGO!"

"None can do," he smiled.

"FUCK THIS! WHY DO I HAVE TO LIVE MY LIFE WITH YOU IN IT?!"

Sougo froze.

 _Pak!_

Hijikata struck the boy's face, the impact hitting him onto the ground.

The vice-captain was stunned.

 _What had he done?_

He sworn he never aimed for his face. He just froze so suddenly. He stared at Sougo, overwhelmed with guilt.

However he could not bring himself to apologise. After all, it was Sougo's fault for taunting him first.

 _Right?_

Silently, Sougo pulled himself back up. His face was hidden in the shadows. Hijikata could not tell what expression he was making then.

 _Is he furious? Or is he crying?_

He couldn't tell at all; and that made him even more worried.

"Sougo- ARGH!"

The boy struck him hard between his legs and ran in the opposite direction.

Hijikata cringed and fell onto the floor in agony,

"Fuck…" he muttered.

Today was the worst day of his life. He wondered what was it that he had done so wrong to deserve this shitty day. Nothing was going right. Furious, Hiikata breathed,

"FUCK!"


	3. Saying Sorry Is A Pain In The Ass But

**Saying Sorry Is A Pain In The Ass But It's Kind Of Cute Hearing It From You**

"Kondo-san don't get too upset…it happens all the time right?" Yamazaki consoled.

The gorilla-I mean Kondo sniffed in tears. As usual, this year once again Otae attacked him at first sight.

To make things worse, she had no chocolates to offer. (Of course)

" _Hah? Dog shit suits you better."_

Otae's hostile line echoed in his head. He just has to try harder, doesn't he?

"By the way Kondo-san," Yamazaki began, instantly brushing off the issue on Otae,

"Why aren't Hijikata-san and Okita-san back yet? It's getting late."

The gorilla stared at the unimportant guy; then chuckled.

"I lied to them," he said grinning,

"There was no perverted ninja guy to begin with."

"No actually there's one right here in front of me."

"I just wanted them to spend some time together!" Kondo continued, pretending to not have heard Yamazaki.

Yamazaki sighed, but then smiled.

"They're not going to be happy if they know about this."

* * *

Hijikata sat alone under a withered tree. He had given up on searching for Sougo. That bastard must be a ninja or something. He was unbelievably elusive.

Hijikata's guilt made him recall that dreadful scene again. Regret clawed at his heart, making him wince.

"Tch…"

Irritated, he smoked a cigarette or consolation.

"Yo, were you dumped?" a lazy voice said.

The vice-captain turned to see a panda mascot sitting next to him.

 _When did it get here?_

Hijikata stared.

 _It sounds really familiar too…_

"Gintoki?" Hijikata blurted out.

For some reason, he thought of that silver haired man.

"No, I am the love re-constructor."

"You're Gintoki, aren't you?"

"Quiet! I am the love re-constructor!" it lied.

Hijikata decided that he was too tired to argue with it and kept quiet.

"So, what happened?" the mascot inquired with a 'I-really-can't-be-bothered' tone.

"Nothing."

The panda mascot stared; then laughed in triumph.

"You can't deceive me," it said, "You would not be alone here otherwise."

Ignored.

"So what is it?" it pressed on.

"Your girlfriend dumped you? Or did she cheat on you? Or did she rape you?"

Hijikata glared at the stupid mascot. It was getting increasingly annoying and he very much wanted to sock it in the face.

But then he sighed,

"Actually…it's a guy."

The mascot gasped and stared at Hijikata, quite appalled.

"…a guy raped you?"

"THAT'S NOT IT!" the vice-captain yelled instantly, but then sighed again.

"I hurt him…I think."

"Oh, so you raped him."

"I DID NOT! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"

"You're the one talking in circles!" the mascot argued.

Hijikata looked away and folded his arms in irritation,

"I slapped him…but it was an accident."

"Tch…that's so trivial," the mascot shook its head in disappointment.

"You just want a rape case don't you?!"

"Isn't it simple?" the mascot continued, ignoring Hijikata,

"Just apologise."

Hijikata stared at the panda mascot, quite disappointed at the solution presented to him.

"I can't apologise," he fumed, "It was his fault to begin with."

"There are some things that are worth more than pride. Besides," it paused, now turning its head to look at the sky,

"Are you satisfied with the way he currently looks at you?"

At the mention of 'him', Sougo's image instantly flashed in Hijikata's mind.

Those reddish-brown eyes that always look into him.

 _No._

They always look straight through him.

Hijikata stood up, a new determination filling up within him.

"I know what to do now. Thanks, Gintoki," he managed a grin.

"Great. That consolation session costs 500yen. Pay up."

"IT COSTS MONEY?!"

* * *

Hijikata paced around the theme park for the third time and still there was no sign of Sougo.

 _Where the hell did that bastard go?_

The sun was already setting. It had occurred to him that Sougo might have already left.

Despite that, Hiikata refused to give up. Today was the only chance he had.

 _I want that bastard to look straight at me._

He clenched his fists.

 _And only me._

"Hijikata-san."

The vice-captain whirled around to see the familiar face.

"Where were you?!" he exploded, fairly frustrated at Sougo.

"I could say the same to you," the boy said calmly, "I was looking all over for you."

"You..you were?"

"Yes, and we still have yet to catch the nina guy, Hijikata-san."

The older man looked away, now contemplating on whether he should apologise.

Once again, Sougo was acting like nothing ever happened. He could sense no anger or even hatred from him.

He was behaving as usual.

 _As usual…_

" _Are you satisfied with the way he currently looks at you?"_

Hijikata frowned. No, he was not satisfied. He was not satisfied with the way things are between Sougo and himself. In fact, he was violently against it.

"Hey Sougo!" he shouted suddenly.

The boy stared.

"I'm sorry for hitting you!"

"Why are you saying that with an angry tone?"

"Because I AM angry!" Hijikata yelled, face red with fury,

"I'm angry with myself for with I did, and I'm angry at you for not being angry at me!"

Sougo cocked his head to one side, slightly confused.

"Hiikata-san, are you drunk?"

"I'M SERIOUS!"

"Yeah okay whatever."

With that, Sougo turned and walked away.

"By the way Hijikata-san," Sougo said without turning,

"I didn't send the pictures of you to Kondo-san."

He paused for a moment,

"Maybe I did go a little too far just now. Not that I can help it since I'm a sadist."

Hijikata stared, trying to figure out exactly what Sougo was trying to tell him.

 _Was this his way of apologizing?_

It occurred to him. Perhaps he would find out if only he could see Sougo's face then. He wondered if Sougo was actually embarrassed about this.

He guessed so. His voice was wavering. Well, kind of. He had definitely not expected an 'apology' from Sougo.

 _Seeing him like this.._

Hijikata swallowed a chuckle, then turned away to hide a faint blush.

 _It's actually kind of cute..._

His heart pounded.

"Hey...since we're already here, why not have some fun?" Hijikata said with reluctance.

It was getting awkward.

However if he wants something to change between him and Sougo, he had to do something.

Waiting is not an option.

He prayed silently that Sougo would consent. Since he was the most unpredictable monster that he has met.

"Okay. The ninja dude is nowhere to be found anyways," Sougo said.

He turned to look at Hijikata, then smirked sinisterly,

"If you're not too scared to be alone with me, that is."

Hijikata stared at the boy. He was obviously plotting something.

Looks like things won't go as smoothly as he thinks.

"Actually, I'm terrified," he grinned.

* * *

 **I updated quite quickly this time didn't I? uwu/ Adding in Gintoki was like a last minute decision x'D I was thinking, 'Oh shit, how am I going to mend this situation?' Then I remembered how whenever Gintoki enters the scene in the anime, I would always think, "Ah now everything will be fine." *u*/ So I added him here to patch things up x'D I hope this chapter was entertaining and do leave behind a review! ^u^/**


	4. When Riding The Ferris Wheel

**When Riding The Ferris Wheel, Please Be Careful Because Your Partner May Try To Kill You**

"I want to ride the Ferris Wheel."

Hijikata was rather shocked when Sougo had said that. He expected that the boy would choose something more sadistic or 'exciting'. Perhaps the spinner, the roller coaster, or the haunted house again.

 _Maybe even Sougo yearns or something romantic…_ He thought hopefully.

The two entered the Ferris Wheel carriage; neither of them speaking.

Sougo was looking out of the window, seemingly ignoring Hijikata's existence. Meanwhile, Hijikata stared at Sougo, once again trying to read his unreadable expression.

The vice-captain was feeling uneasy. He had never ridden a Ferris Wheel with anyone before. Furthermore this time, he was riding it with _Sougo._

"Hijikata-san look!" Sougo said suddenly with glee.

Hijikata looked at Sougo. The boy had an innocent smile on his face, he seemed to be truly enjoying himself.

It was the first time Hijikata had seen Sougo smile like that. It had always been either a villainous smirk or a sinister grin that he wore.

"What is it?" he finally replied, leaning towards the window to have a glance at what the boy wanted him to see.

The sun was setting, casting a beautiful golden glow unto everything beneath them. Pairs of lovers were everywhere. They were all doing different things, however, they all wore the same blissful smile on their faces.

It was a truly beautiful scene that depicts pure happiness.

 _Happiness…_

Hijikata smiled.

 _Wait. Since when was Sougo into this kind of thing-_

It was too late.

Hijikata felt a violent force from the back, slamming his face into the window. The impact shattered the glass into bits. Despite so, the force did not stop there. It continued pushing Hijikata through the hole that it had created, such that he fell overboard completely.

Then, gravity did the rest of the job.

At the midst of falling, Hijikata stole a glance at the culprit.

As expected, the hazel-haired boy was looking down at him, grinning evilly in triumph.

"SOUGO YOU BASTARD-"

He was cut off when gravity mercilessly slammed him against the concrete ground.

There he lay, motionless.

Sougo stared at the fallen man from above, smirking proudly at his own sadistic deed.

 _That idiot is too trusting._

The boy stared at the corpse, rather sure that Hijikata was not dead. If he was to relate his vice-captain to an animal, it'd be a cockroach. No matter how hard he tries to kill off that bastard, he would just stand right back up.

Except this time he did not.

Hijikata was still lying there, not moving even a single inch.

Sougo continued staring, this time in disbelief.

 _Had he really succeeded this time?_

The boy maintained his poker face, unwilling to give in to whatever feelings that were whirling inside him.

 _I guess I'll tell Kondo-san that he accidentally fell over and died. How unfortunate._ He thought, still staring.

Unable to withstand it any longer, Sougo gave in to the frustration in him and frowned. However, he did nothing and waited, half hoping that the corpse beneath would somehow start moving again.

Of course, it did not.

His heart began slamming against his ribs when he saw red flowing out of Hijikata's body.

He clenched his fists, whether out of excitement (that he had killed Hijikata) or out of panic, he did not know.

 _I'll check if he's really dead._ He hurriedly found himself an excuse to go down there.

His body, having been restricted by the mind, burst into action.

He leaped through the broken window and landed safely on his feet.

Then hurriedly, he ran to the vice-captain and knelt down by him.

"Hijikata-san?" he reluctantly touched the body and shook it lightly.

No response.

His heartbeat accelerated but he dare not call his name again. He was afraid that his voice would sound funny. He was trembling and was certain that if he spoke, his voice would waver.

So he just shook the body again and again, shutting his eyes and mouth tightly to prevent anymore fear to creep into him.

"Sougo…" a weak voice whispered.

A huge wave of relief came over the boy's heart at the sound of the voice.

"H-Hijikata-san?"

As he had thought, his voice trembled stupidly in weakness.

"There is something I must tell you before I…" he trailed off and heaved painfully.

Sougo looked at him, his heart pounding in both relief and fear.

Hijikata stared back at Sougo, his eyes about to shut close anytime. He fought for consciousness weakly, bound to lose.

"It's…" he whispered, then coughed.

"I'm listening," Sougo assured.

The dying man coughed again, clearly in agony. He heaved and fought for air as he struggled to keep his eyes open at the same time. Then breathing in a huge, perhaps final, breath of air, he whispered,

"It's ketchup."

"What?"

Sougo's heart began beating a different rhythm.

 _Idiot! Idiot! Idiot!_

He heart screamed at him.

"It's ketchup," Hijikata repeated with a different, healthier tone. He sat up and pointed at the 'blood' on the ground.

Violently, Sougo slammed Hijikata's face into the concrete, making him bleed for real this time.

"Fuck off in Hell," he said furiously and stood up to leave.

Hijikata scrambled to his feet and hurriedly stumbled to catch up with Sougo.

"Why are you even angry?!" he shouted, "You always do the same thing to me! Except you'd sneak a bomb or two into my coat as well!"

"Shut up!" the boy shouted back, whirling around to face Hijikata.

However, with no argument in hand, he then kept quiet.

It was true. He does do that to Hijikata all the time-pretending to die with ketchup.

He wondered why he was so agitated by this.

 _Perhaps it's because that gullible idiot managed to trick me?_ He confirmed.

"But you know," Hijikata began, looking away as he hesitated whether if he should continue,

"I was kind of happy that you cared."

"Ha…" Sougo laughed in irritation, then said,

"Check your pocket."

Hijikata did as he was told and shuffled his pocket for any foreign objects. True enough, there was something there. He felt something rough and round.

Without giving it a second thought, he pulled it out to look at what it may be.

 _Oh it's a grenade._

 _Wait._

Instinctively, Hijikata threw it into the sky with all his might.

It blew up violently before his eyes. If he had only been a second late, he would have been torn into shreds by that _grenade._

 _Since when did he put it into my pocket? That bastard..._

"Still think I care?" Sougo said with a smirk, obviously still pissed at Hijikata.

The vice-captain stared at the hazel-haired boy, perspiring in cold sweat. He had let his guard down. Swallowing, he hoped to survive this day in one piece.

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 **I planned to make this chapter longer, but it'd be a bit too long if I was going to continue to the next scene x'D I hoped you guys enjoyed this chapter~ Honestly my sense of humor is atrocious, which makes it very difficult for me to write something funny to match Gintama's genre of comedy QuQ/ Despite so, I hope it's still funny or at least enjoyable to read OvO/ I'll try my best to update as fast as I can!**


	5. When Your Partner Says Something To You

**Hi guys! I'm sorry for the long wait! QuQ/ My computer broke down and so I couldn't write OTL I actually didn't intend for this story to be this long x'D It'll probably be ending in 2 chapters or so OuO/ Also, I hope this chapter would be enjoyable, and do leave a feedback ^u^/**

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 **When Your Partner Says Something To You, It Usually Means The Opposite…I Think**

"So what do you want to ride next?"

Hijikata asked rather casually.

Sougo glanced at the vice-captain. He did not comprehend why that fool would continue hanging around him.

He was dangerous. It doesn't take a genius to figure that out. Yet knowing so, Hijikata always mindlessly, fearlessly, _recklessly_ stick by him.

 _Or was it he himself that sticks by that man?_

Sougo decided that he doesn't care to find out.

He stared at Hijikata, who was still waiting for his answer.

 _What the hell is he doing really?_ He wondered. Having 'fun' with Hijikata like that was something he had never dreamed himself of doing.

To the Sougo of the past, it was something disgraceful and laughable to his character trait. He wasn't the same as before, he realized. He also realized that he needed to go back. Back to the old Sougo. The Sougo that hated Hijikata.

"Nothing. Let's go back," he finally replied and turned so that he wouldn't see Hijikata, nor the kind of expression he carried then.

The vice-captain was disappointed and rather surprised.

 _What's his problem?_

He wondered if Sougo was feeling angry perhaps.

 _No._

He knew full well that it was resentment that Sougo felt, not anger.

 _Of course, how can someone have fun while spending time with someone he hates?_

Annoyance stirred in him.

He clenched his fists and stared at Sougo's back. On impulse, yet intentionally, he asked firmly,

"Why do you hate me?"

Sougo stopped in his tracks but did not answer, nor did he turn around.

Hijikata's heart raced, whether in fury or anxiousness he did not know, or care. He wanted, needed to know the answer. He could no longer tolerate this treatment from Sougo.

It was unusual, since he was never bothered by the thought that Sougo hates him. In fact, he was used to it. He wondered when it began to bug him this way.

He remembered that day Mitsuba died. It was the first time he saw Sougo cry, and the first time he felt that Sougo had let go of that hatred.

 _Or had he? Perhaps it was just his imagination then._

Even if it was just an imagination, the euphoria he felt was undeniably real.

"I know you hated me before because of the incident with Mitsuba, but I thought that was settled!" he shouted when he confirmed that Sougo wasn't going to answer.

The boy still stood stubbornly at the same spot, refusing to speak.

"You need to get over Mitsuba, Sougo!"

That snapped Sougo. He whirled around and grabbed Hijikata's collar violently, pulling him close.

"I _was_ over her! Until you had to mention her name again!" he shouted in his face, his eyes threatening and murderous.

"Don't drag her into this, Hijikata," Sougo warned,

"It has nothing to do with her."

Then without warning, the older man seized Sougo by the wrist and slammed him against a nearby wall.

Sougo tried to strike Hijikata with his free hand, but the vice-captain seized the other by the wrist as well before it could attack, pinning them both against the cold concrete.

"Let go Hijikata!"

The boy struggled in his grip but it was no use. Physically, Hijikata was a lot stronger.

"Why do you hate me? I don't get it!" Hijikata pressed on, determined to obtain his answer no matter what.

 _It wasn't because of Mitsuba. It wasn't! Sougo said so himself, so why?!_

"What the hell is wrong with you today?!" Sougo burst out at the man,

"You're being more fucking annoying than usual!"

That hit a nerve. Hijikata glared at the boy threateningly, his eyes dark and furious.

"Annoying?" he whispered,

"You said I'm annoying?"

Then he looked down at his feet, and chuckled to himself. Sougo stared at Hijikata and wondered if he was going mad.

 _Yes if he was going mad, then it'd explain his abnormal behavior today._

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW FUCKING HARD I WAS TRYING?!" he yelled so suddenly that the boy flinched.

"I TOLERATED MORE THAN I EVER HAD, PUT MY LIFE ON THE LINE CONSTANTLY, AND EVEN GOT COMPLAINED FOR BEING OUT OF CHARACTER!"

"AND WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU EVEN DO THAT?!" Sougo exploded back at Hijikata.

"BECAUSE I LIKE YOU!"

Hijikata breathed, tired from all that shouting, all that fury, and all those disappointments.

Then silence took over, and rested heavily on their shoulders.

Sougo stared at the vice-captain, shocked and speechless. His eyes were wide and his mouth was agape.

Hijikata on the other hand was cursing himself from within repeatedly. He was furious, annoyed and those words were just a slip of his tongue. He convinced himself that he had definitely not meant what he said. It was just a mistake.

 _Right?_

His chain of thoughts was abruptly cut off by a sharp pain that shot up from his crotch.

Sougo had taken the chance to strike him with his knee. Hijikata grimaced in pain and groveled onto the ground.

Then without saying a word, Sougo snatched his freedom and fled past him.

"That's right keep running! That's what you've always done," the man managed to blurt out in the midst of his agony.

Sougo stopped in his tracks. He wanted to run but his body did not allow him to. His virtue as a man did not permit so.

He had to give Hijikata an answer after what he had said to him, except he did not know the answer himself.

And what face should he carry when he turns around to face him? What kind of tone should he have?

He was worried about small details that he would never have worried about in the past.

He hated Hijikata. He was supposed to hate him. And so, he had to hate him.

Something gripped his heart from within.

 _Don't say it..._ His heart whispered.

He clenched his fists.

 _Don't say it._ His heart said.

He breathed.

 _Don't say it!_ His heart screamed and clawed him from within.

"I hate you."

Not daring to turn and look at Hijikata, Sougo walked off on his own, with every nerve in him stinging in raw pain.


End file.
